Waking up on Monday morning brought unexpected news for Virginia Tech football fans. Pete Thamel of ESPN quickly made waves by reporting that Hokies head coach Brent Pry had found a new offensive coordinator, just weeks after Tyler Bowen departed for Ohio State to coach the offensive line.
Thamel revealed that Virginia Tech was targeting Philip Montgomery, former Tulsa head coach, and shortly after, the school officially announced the hire. At first glance, Montgomery appears to be a strong choice, bringing valuable experience as a Power 5 coordinator—something Pry has emphasized as crucial.
Later that afternoon, Pry addressed the media to discuss the hiring and other topics, but one particular comment from the fourth-year coach stood out and sparked conversation.
Brent Pry has an eye-opening quotes about Philip Montgomery hiring
Pry revealed that several candidates were interviewed for the offensive coordinator position, but Philip Montgomery stood out—impressing Pry in an unexpected way.
“A lot of discussion and dialogue happened even before we interviewed Philip in person,” Pry said. “He and Matt (Moore) spent an hour and a half on the phone going over protection schemes and the run game. That was important to me.”
Pry was referring to newly-hired offensive line coach Matt Moore, who joined the staff in late December from West Virginia after Pry dismissed Ron Crook following the Thanksgiving weekend win over Virginia. Pry acknowledged that this level of communication between coaches was something he hadn’t ensured with his previous staff, including Bowen and Crook.
“I probably didn’t do a good enough job in my first three years here making sure those guys were in sync with each other,” Pry admitted.
Since the end of the regular season, Pry has presented a noticeably different demeanor during his press conferences, and Monday was no exception. The early signs from this offseason’s hires are promising, and if Virginia Tech hopes to turn things around in 2025, these moves will need to pay off. Pry’s candid comments on Monday, particularly about fostering better staff collaboration, stood out as a significant takeaway.